In November of 2012, I reviewed the incredible novel, 'Wool', written by the equally-incredible Hugh Howey. I couldn't say enough about his story. I recommended it to friends, family, and even our thrift shop customers. And a few have come back to tell me how much they enjoyed it.
But the most asked question was, "Is he writing a sequel?"
Oh, yeah, he did. And you're in for another long night of reading. As for me, it took me days because I hated to reach the end. That, dear reader, is the sign of a well-told story.
'Shift Omnibus' does reveal how everything began, but it soon reaches the time frame of 'Wool'.
'Shift Omnibus' tells the story of a man named Troy who awakens in Silo 1. It is his turn to oversee the comings-and-goings of the occupants...and to keep an eye out for unusual happenings. But Troy begins to question everything around him, including the 'big boss', Thurlow, who is a master at keeping secrets and maintaining lies. When Troy starts digging, answers begin to pop up, and he finds he isn't the man he thought he was. He learns just why and how he and countless others are forced to live underground. As he remembers his past and the part he played in the deception, he grows ever more curious about the trust he holds for those who haven't earned it.
The chapters move from past to present, and back again. Major characters seem to live forever, while a beloved character from 'Wool' sets up the third book in this fascinating trilogy.
There is a bloody revolution in one of the silos, pitting friend against friend, mentor against student, and Mission, the major character in that scenario, is one of my favorites. His past is heartbreaking which makes his rage well-earned.
But it is near the end, when we read about young Jimmy, that honest tears are truly shed. We suffer along with him; experience his loneliness, find hope in his love for a new companion, and sob when the years pass and we find that Jimmy has taken back his alias, Solo. And then there is the end, when hope springs anew.
Major things are in store for the residents of the silos, and thanks to the fantastic writing of Mr. Howey, I'm sure you'll be up all night, biting your nails and unable to put down the book.
As for me, I'll be taking it slow with the final novel, 'Dust'.
'Shift Omnibus' is available at bookstores everywhere.
"Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy..."
Some book reviews are so easy to compose. When I am come off reading a story that is so beautifully written, so well edited, it's everything I can do to keep myself from writing a review right then and there. Instead, I sit and digest the story, remembering what passages affected me the most.
And then, along comes a book that affected me throughout the whole story.
"Forever, Interrupted" by Taylor Jenkins Reid is the story of Elsie and Ben, two single people who meet at a take-out pizza place on New Year's Day. Their chemistry is immediate; so immediate, they fall in love, move in together, get married...and are separated by death, all in the space of five or six months. One might think that 'love at first sight' does not exist, but it does (it has happened to me), and it's eloquently told in this heartbreaking story.
I'll admit it: I cried just three pages into the story. I cried when Elsie met her mother-in-law, Susan. I cried when I read the various chapters pertaining to the courtship of Elsie and Ben because I knew what was coming.
But I didn't realize how deep the grief shared by both women would be. And I almost thought that Elsie would never be able to swim to the surface and grab back her life.
Ms. Reid has written a novel that is much more than mere 'Chick Lit'. It is a story of grief, an emotion that almost all of us have encountered at some time or another. It could be from the death of a family member, or a friend or coworker. Even (and sometimes more heartbreaking) from the death of a beloved animal. I could relate to the grief; every stage that Elsie encountered reverberated in my own life. You might think that Ben is 'too good to be true', but he is a sincere, flawed man who finds true love and isn't afraid to go for it.
Being a huge book lover, I was pleased to find various mentions of books; Elsie is a librarian, Ben loved reading Young Adult books (not the sappy, 'real' ones. He loved fantasy, but not the 'vampire' genre). And near the end, when the story beautifully comes together, books are a huge catalyst for Elsie's new life.
This is a thoughtful story, and very well-written. It's not light. It has substance.
When I got to the end, when I read that last sentence, I cried anew.
And so will you.
So, now I must leave and go buy a new box of tissues.
Book Hog also suggests 'Goodbye for Now', by Laurie Frankel. These two novels accompany
each other very well.
When I viewed my news feed on Facebook today, I was absolutely delighted to see a 'thank you' from the Chet the Dog page for my review of Spencer Quinn's soon-to-be-released book, 'The Sound and the Furry'. I thank you, Chet the Dog page (and Mr. Quinn); your story was an absolute delight to read and review.
So, my day started off to be a happy one.
But I've been saddled with a dilemma. I just finished reading the new book, 'Tampa', by Alissa Nutting, and while I love her style and voice, I felt more than a bit uncomfortable with the whole premise.
I'll be frank: It's about a female eighth grade English teacher who harbors a sexual obsession for fourteen-year-old boys.
Celeste Price has it all: Beauty, a rich husband, a great teaching career, and a red Corvette. But her one weakness is fourteen-year-old boys, and she goes after them like a shark hunting prey. She's meticulous and smart, and in a few weeks into the new school year, she's found her latest victim. Sweet, quiet Jack Patrick is in awe of his new teacher, while Celeste celebrates his naiveté. When he finally learns that she wants him in the most sexual way, he agrees to keep quiet about their affair. But despite the fact that Celeste is a swift thinker and an insatiable lover, something trips her up. And it isn't good.
'Tampa' will most certainly become the latest controversial novel of this publishing season (think 'Lolita') due to it's uncomfortable subject matter. And while I felt a great distaste for the character of Celeste, I loved Nutting's style. Good writing and truthiness (thanks, Stephen Colbert) should make a reader feel uncomfortable until we can relate to the subject matter, but this one... Not for me.
I hope that Ms. Nutting goes on to write a story that won't leave such a bad taste in my mouth. Teachers are supposed to be trusted, and when I read even a fictional account about a predatory instructor, I feel as if I have to wash out my eyes.
But I'll still be a fan, Alissa. I just hope your next novel doesn't make me cringe.
'Tampa' by Alissa Nutting, is available at your local bookstore and library.
If I'm not working that evening, you'll find me in front of my television on Thursdays, watching 'The Big Bang Theory'. I don't care if it's a rerun; I'll watch it and laugh while tapping into my 'inner nerd'. Sheldon Cooper (one of the major characters in the program and played by the brilliant Jim Parsons), on the other hand, is more of a geek. Brilliant in most areas of science (and a trivia expert), he cannot cope in social situations, and suffers (although not in his opinion) from OCD. He knows everything and isn't afraid to let everyone know it.
So, when the new novel, 'The Rosie Project' landed on my desk, I almost thought that Sheldon had written it. Almost...
Brilliant, funny (oh, it's definitely funny!), and a nod to those who aren't afraid to change, Graeme Simsion's new novel is destined to hit the bestseller lists. His story is one of the most romantic and hilarious books of the Fall publishing season.
Don Tillman is a professor of genetics, and although he has a brilliant scientific mind (with huge OCD tendencies), he finds social situations uncomfortable and confounding. His luck with women ended at one date, so he embarks upon the Wife Project. The Wife Project is a sixteen-page questionnaire which he sends to assorted women (thanks to the help of his best friend, Gene, who, although married, enjoys the 'company' of many, many women) in hopes of finding his perfect mate.
And in walks Rosie, the most illogical and beautiful woman he has ever met. Brilliant in her own right, Rosie and Don establish a tentative friendship, and in doing so, embark upon yet another endeavor, The Father Project (Rosie wants to find out who her biological father really is). Setting The Wife Project aside, Don reorganizes his life in order to help Rosie. But what he doesn't foresee is the path he will take to find himself...and love.
Of all the beautifully-realized characters in this book, I fell in love with Don. Fastidious, unintentionally funny, and stuck in his own little world, he projects a courage that I did not expect. Watching his relationship with Rosie grow into 'something more' made my heart swell.
So, read 'The Rosie Project' before it becomes a movie. Grasp Don's hand and give it a good shake before he can take it back.
Sheldon would be horrified.
Have you ever read a book that made you feel like a little kid? A book so powerful in its simplicity that you are left breathless? A book that, at first, reads like an innocent fairy tale but soon reveals a surprising mythology?
A book you'll remember always. A book written by a master, a title rightly earned.
It was almost impossible for me to set aside 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane'. Neil Gaiman is on my Top 10 list of favorite authors ('Neverwhere' is my particular favorite of all his works), and I've never been steered wrong. I read his newest story at night, while in bed, feeling every emotion experienced by the narrator, a middle-aged man remembering a trying, emotional, scary time when he was 7 years-old.
When he takes us back to his seventh year, it begins with his birthday party, a party that no one attended, except for his immediate family. And then he receives, and falls in love with, a little black kitten he names 'Fluffy'. He is a quiet boy, without friends, and recedes into the comfort of books.
But when an opal miner arrives to board in their home, the tale turns dark and it is then when our young narrator meets Lettie Hempstock, a young girl who lives in a farmhouse at the end of the lane. She shares the home with her grandmother and mother, two warm, welcoming women. Powerful women.
Near their farmhouse is a pond, which Lettie claims is the ocean over which they sailed from the 'old country'. As their friendship becomes stronger, Lettie vows to protect her young friend. From what, he wonders, and that 'what' is strange and evil, and determined to take away everyone he holds dear, including his own life and the world around him.
It's a small book; almost 180 pages; but it stays with you. It reads like a fairy tale, but adult situations abound. Remember, this is the first adult novel Gaiman's written in a long time.
It contains his usual theme of innocence gone dark, but with that darkness comes light...and this light is astounding.
Welcome back, Mr. Gaiman. This one was worth waiting for.
'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' is now available at your local independent bookstore and library.
Summer continues in the most brilliant way here in the Pacific Northwest. We haven't had rain for quite a while, and while I enjoy the sunny days, I consider this one a nuisance. I have the flu, and no amount of air conditioning is going to make me feel better.
I have stayed in my pajamas all day while I consume massive quantities of ginger ale and toast. Children's screams of joy and activity from the nearby swimming pool have been barely tolerated. In fact, it's been keeping me from proper rest. I could easily stand on my balcony and tell everyone to shut up, but that wouldn't be neighborly, would it?
So, I read. Stacks of new advance reading copies sit on a table near the sofa, and while they all look wonderful, I have chosen the one that I've been eagerly waiting for.
Locked away from the outside world, I opened Spencer Quinn's new book, 'The Sound and the Furry' and immediately fell into Chet and Bernie's newest adventure.
Chet the dog is the narrator once again, and a better one you'll never find (I still swear that Mr. Quinn is part dog). Full of love and friendship, with a dollop of worry, this continuation of the story of the two private eyes is a welcome addition to this hilarious series.
While out on a drive, Chet and Bernie come upon a prison work crew and find Frenchie Boutette, a man they helped send to jail. Frenchie asks Bernie and Chet for help in finding his missing brother, Ralph, somewhere in New Orleans. But before they can leave, they are attacked by a gang called the Quieros. Although Bernie has been offered another job in Alaska (with a bigger payday), he decides to help Frenchie, instead. The Boutette family has a long-running feud with the Robideau family, and at first, Bernie thinks the Robideau's had something to do with Ralph's disappearance due to a dispute over a missing load of shrimp. But when Bernie discovers a hidden clue, the search takes a dangerous turn. Soon, the duo is fighting Big Oil, black ops, the Quieros, and Iko the vicious alligator.
The 'Chet and Bernie' series is interesting, but it is Chet's narrative voice that drives this series well above others. His voice, while pure canine, is full of devotion, love, pride, and furry excitement. Chet is weak when food is involved; no matter how attentive to duty he tries to be, a Slim Jim can drive him to distraction.
So, if you're suffering from a cold or the flu during this incredible heat wave the whole U.S. seems to be experiencing, take a load off and begin reading this wonderful mystery series. You'll get some good laughs, you'll cry a few tears (the tear-inducing moment in this new story is especially tissue-worthy), and you'll celebrate the love and friendship shared by two very interesting private investigators.
As for me, it made me feel quite a bit better.
Laughter, it seems, is the best medicine.
'The Sound and the Furry' will be released in early September 2013 by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.
I have been working for a non-profit thrift store for over a year now, and it is one of the most satisfying and interesting jobs I've ever held. Our non-profit offers programs to veterans, the elderly, at-risk youth, and those facing addictions. I come into contact with many people from various walks of life; those who have money to spend from having jobs that pay them well, elderly folks, and disabled people. It is a distinct pleasure to serve them.
It is the disabled people who have taught me patience and compassion. When you look beyond the wheelchair and canes and (sometimes) vacant stares, you find a breathing human being inside, one who has a brilliant sense of humor. I'm especially drawn to a young woman who practices sarcasm every day, and it is a joy to see her in our store. Our exchanges are quiet and quick, and when she and her caregiver are waiting at the counter when a huffy, privileged person is complaining about some little thing, I can feel the sarcasm just waiting to burst out of the young woman's mouth. So I wink at her and she smiles. When the privileged woman looks behind her and sees the wheelchair-bound girl, she dares not give off a look of horror (which I know she would have done if I hadn't been standing there). She dramatically sweeps down and pats the girl's hand, as if she's done a service to all those who are disabled. "You poor thing," she says. It's everything I can do to keep my mouth shut.
'The Mouse-Proof Kitchen', written by Saira Shah, doesn't really address the same issue. The child, Freya, isn't treated with sad smiles and pats on the hand. She is instantly accepted and cared for. She is the catalyst of the story, and a more precious one could not be imagined.
Anna and Tobias, a young couple living in London, are expecting the birth of a perfect child, and then a move to a perfect life in Provence, France. But life doesn't work out exactly the way they planned. Freya, their daughter, is born physically disabled, and will require constant care for the rest of her life. The family ends up buying a worn down, rodent-infested farmhouse, which is soon a magnet for their strange, lonely neighbors. Confronted by such ill luck, fortune, in many guises, teaches them compassion, love, and forgiveness.
Of all the characters, I found Tobias to be the most selfish. A brilliant musician relying on freelance jobs, he keeps himself away from his daughter, because if he gets too close, he'll fall in love with her. He tells Anna to keep something back, because when they are no longer able to take care of Freya, their grief will be horrible. That I can understand. But when he finally makes a solid connection with their daughter, he's still selfish and inconsiderate.
Anna, however, bonds with Freya immediately. She is the one who takes care of her, although there are times when she just wants to run away. But that bond brings her closer to her own mother, a woman who, in subtle nagging ways, wants to keep the bond alive.
Shah's characters are finely drawn, and their quirks and mannerisms bring a certain sparkle to the story. But the character that really drew me in was the fragile Freya. She reminded me of the many disabled people I help every day.
Humor, compassion and immediate acceptance give 'The Mouse-Proof Kitchen' its energy.
And, I have to admit, even the selfishness of some of the characters give it the intensity it requires.
'The Mouse-Proof Kitchen', published by Atria (a division of Simon & Schuster) is available at your local bookstore and library.
'Shift Omnibus' tells the story of a man named Troy who awakens in Silo 1. It is his turn to oversee the comings-and-goings of the occupants...and to keep an eye out for unusual happenings. But Troy begins to question everything around him, including the 'big boss', Thurlow, who is a master at keeping secrets and maintaining lies. When Troy starts digging, answers begin to pop up, and he finds he isn't the man he thought he was. He learns just why and how he and countless others are forced to live underground. As he remembers his past and the part he played in the deception, he grows ever more curious about the trust he holds for those who haven't earned it.
